Winding and setting pinions mounted in case independent of movement



March 1970 RAOUL-HENRI ERARD 3,499,280

WINDING AND SETTING PINIONS MOUNTED IN CASE INDEPENDENT OF MOVEMENTFiled May 12. 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Raoul Henri ERARD ATTORNEYMarch 10, 1970 RAOUk-HENRI ERARD 3,499,280

WINDING AND SETTING PINIONS MOUNTED IN CASE INDEPENDENT OF MOVEMENTFiled May 12, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- H6. 4 FIG. 5

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INVENTOR Raoul- Henri ERARD iry/0nd ATTORNEYS United States Patent US.Cl. 5863 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A timepiece including arecessed casing and a clockwork free of any winding and settingmechanism and being receivable in the recess of the casing.

The present invention relates to watchmaking, and more particularly, butnot exclusively, to watches adapted to be carried on the wrist, i.e., toWristwatches.

The object of the primary invention is to provide a timepiece comprisinga clockwork located in a casing, characterized by the fact that theclockwork comprises no winding and setting mechanism, this mechanismbeing carried by the casing.

The drawing shows, by FIGS. 1 to 7, several particulars of oneembodiment given by way of example.

FIGS. 1 and 2 represent the clockwork respectively on the bridges and onthe dial sides.

FIG. 3 is a view of the casing without the clockwork.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the casing showing a detail ofthe winding and setting mechanism.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show sectionally the operation of the winding and settingmechanism, respectively in the wind- .ing and in the setting positions.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the clockwork showing the detail of aparticularity of the mounting of this clockwork in the casing.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 can be seen the clockwork characterized by the factthat it comprises no winding and setting mechanism and is constituted bya homogeneous complex of relatively simple elements absolutely necessaryfor driving, transmission and regulation.

So far as the object of the invention is concerned, a base plate 1 canbe seen, the periphery 1a of which defines the general shape of theclockwork and more particularly a free portion 1b in which is seated,when the clockwork is located within the casing, the part of that casingcarrying the winding and setting mechanism. The clockwork includes aratchet wheel 2 mounted on the barrel shaft rotating on the axis 4 andprevented from rotating in the direction opposite to the windingdirection by a pawl 5. An intermediate wheel 3 meshes directly with theminute wheel 6.

This clockwork constitutes a prefectly homogeneous and functional whole,ready to be connected by the intermediate wheel 3 and the ratchet wheel2 to the winding and setting mechanism located in the casing.

FIG. 3 shows the casing 7 with the recess 8 intended to receive themovement and including a projecting part 9 disposed to carry the windingand setting stem 10, the setting pinion 11 and the winding pinion 12.

FIG. 4 shows the winding and setting mechanism located in the casing 7,recess 8 for the clockwork, the inner projection 9 in which a hole andtwo recesses permit the location of a winding stem 10, the settingpinion 11 and the winding pinion 12, and the crown 14 rigid with thestem and located in a recess provided in the bottom of the casing. Thewinding stem comprises a profiled portion a cooperating with a jumper 13ensuring two axial distinct positions of the stem. In the positionreprer. CC

sented in the FIG. 4, a flute 10b of the winding stem cooperates with acorresponding flute of the winding pionion 12, so that this pinion isangularly rigid with the stem while the fiute is out of mesh with thecorresponding flute of the setting pinion 11 which then rotates freelyon a cylindrical part of the stem.

FIG. 5 represents, in a partial sectional view, some details of thecomplex clockwork-stem, the winding and setting mechanism beingrepresented in the winding position.

The base plate 1 of the clockwork which comprises the ratchet wheel 2and the intermediate wheel 3 meshing respectively with the windingpinion 12 at this time rigid with the winding and setting stem 10, andwith the setting pinion 11 rotating then freely on this stem 10. Theclockwork is held in the recess 8 of the casing by a dial 15 itselfmaintained by a glass 16 provided with a rim 16a forced in an opening ofthe casing 7.

FIG. 6 distinguishes from FIG. 5 only by the fact that the winding andsetting mechanism is represented in the setting position, with the crown14 pulled and the winding stem 10 made angularly rigid with the settingpinion 11 driving the intermediate wheel 3, while the winding pinion 12rotates freely on the stem 10, without acting on the ratchet wheel 2.

It is to be noted that in the embodiment as disclosed the winding iscarried out in only one direction of rotation of the winding stem, thisstem being locked against any rotation in the opposite direction by thepawl 5 acting on the ratchet wheel. It is the most simple embodiment ofthe invention. However, the crown 14 can be mounted on the winding andsetting stern in such a way that the crown can be acted in the twodirections, in a reciprd'cate movement, either by frictionally couplingthe crown and the stem, or by a pawl and ratchet coupling. Obviously, inthis case, it is necessary to produce however a sufficient resistance ofthe pawl and ratchet mechanism in the free direction for allowing tonevertheless carrying out the setting in the two directions.

FIG. 7 shows a detail of the clockwork permitting, when it is put intothe casing, to occupy two different positions, one, the initialposition, permitting to introduce the clockwork perfectlyconcentricallyto the recess of the casing, but angularly displaced of anangle a with respect to the definitive position, so that the wholecircumference 17 of the toothing of the winding and setting pinions 12and 11 passes out of meshing with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 2 andof the intermediate wheel 3. This initial angular position is limited bya wall 18 of the clockwork bearing on a wall 19 of therecess 8 of thecasing. In this initial position, the clockwork can be introduced intothe casing until its position, in height, is close to the definiteposition. This intermediary position being limited by the bearing of theoverpart of the base plate on a suitable bearing surface of the casing.Then, by

putting the clockwork into its definitive angular position, one bringsthe winding and setting pinionsto mesh with the ratchet wheel and withthe intermediary wheel, after which one moves still slightly theclockwork in height so that it occupy its definitive position and comeslocated, by the periphery of the base plate, in a suitable recess of thecasing ensuring its locking in its definitive position.

For bring the clockwork out of the casing, the same operations have tobe carried out, but in the reverse order.

This detail of manufacture is provided essentially so as to prevent thetoothings from being deteriorated and almost the toothing of the barrelwhich is generally substantially on the same diameter as the toothing ofthe ratchet wheel and which could be deteriorated by the winding andsetting pinions when the clockwork is introduced into the casing.

The embodiment disclosed having the axis of the winding and setting stemparallel to the axis of the hands is the most convenient and isparticularly adapted to the modern concept of the so-called monobloccasings (that is to say the casings comprising a bottom and a rim ofcaseband made of one piece). On the other hand, this embodiment permitsto use elements identical for the winding stem and the crown,independently of the modification in the diameter of the casing. Thisembodiment also allows a larger variety of shapes and of profiles of therim or case-band and permits also special executions with thin case-bandand protruding glass.

It is however to be noted that one can also provide a mechanismcontrolled by a winding stem having its axis parallel to the plane ofthe movement, i.e. similar to the most conventional mechanisms in thefield of the wristwatches.

However, whatever can be the embodiment, it is particularly useful toprovide the fact that the part of the casing carrying the mechanismprotrudes into the inner recess of the casing so as to locate itself ina recess provided to this elfect in the periphery of the clockwork, thuspermitting a construction especially homogeneous and concentrated. Atlast, it is to be noted that the timepiece according to the invention isparticularly adapted to a division of the mounting operations. Themounting of the clockwork is simplified due to the fact that the numberof the operating elements is reduced and due to the fact that recessesparticularly favourable are provided for these elements. On the sameway, the fact of mounting entirely the winding and setting mechanism inthe casing permits to check the mounting, the finishing and even thetightness of the watch, without entailing a later dismantling of thecrown and of the winding stem for mounting it into the casing. Thisfeature is also particularly important if one takes into account theproblems of putting the clockwork into the casing, the problems of thetightness and of the checking.

What I claim is: 1. In a timepiece comprising: a casing, and a clockworklocated within the casing, and a winding and setting mechanism carriedby the casing, the clockwork including:

a recessed base plate, and a ratchet wheel,

4 and a barrel shaft for mounting the ratchet wheel for rotation in aWinding direction, and a pawl for precluding ratchet wheel rotation in anonwinding direction, and an intermediate wheel, and a minute wheelmeshing with the intermediate wheel, the casing including:

a clockwork-receiving recess, and a projecting part extending into therecess, the winding and setting stem mechanism supported by theprojecting part and including:

a pinioned Winding and setting stem, and a crown rigid with the windingand setting stem, and a setting pinion, and a winding pinion, saidsetting stem supported on both ends by the casing, with the settingpinion and Winding pinion located between said ends, with the clockworkbeing seated within the recess of the casing and with the projectingpart of the casing being receivable in the recess of the base plate ofthe clockwork for positioning the Winding and setting stem astride theclockwork, the clockwork being connected to the casing by theinterengagement of the intermediate wheel and ratchet wheel to thepinions of the winding and setting stern.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,589,052 3/1952 Chiffelle 58-63X 3,303,641 2/1967 Egger et al. 5885.5 1,845,440 2/1932 Piguet 58632,944,384 7/1960 Rabinow 5863 X 3,064,415 11/1962 Polo 5863 3,120,0962/1964 CauSSignaC 58-63 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner GEORGE H.MILLER, JR., Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 58--88

